Ferrexpo demonstrated effective corporate leadership at the URC in Rome

The company makes Ukrainian industry visible to global capital

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Ferrexpo confirmed its status as a world-class company — not only as one of the largest producers of iron ore pellets in Europe, but also as a business that is undergoing comprehensive transformation: strategically, ethically, and innovatively. This was reported to GMK Center by the company’s press service.

Amid the extraordinary challenges of war, Ferrexpo continues to be an example of modern Ukrainian leadership, and this broad transformation was presented at the URC.

At the Gender Alliance side event dedicated to the role of women in Ukraine’s recovery, which took place on the sidelines of the conference, Ferrexpo made a clear statement: gender equality is not just a decoration of social responsibility, but a real driver of innovation and competitiveness. Yaroslava Blonska, Ferrexpo’s interim CMO and one of the few women in top management in the mining and metallurgical industry, spoke at the panel.

“We are entering a world that has traditionally been ‘male-dominated’. But we are not just participating — we are shaping the future of this industry,” she said.

Ferrexpo is one of the first industrial companies in Ukraine to systematically implement a gender-inclusive approach. This is happening not only at the level of HR policies, but also in management culture, mentoring programs, and public leadership. For example, the internal FemUnity initiative has become a platform for supporting, developing, and advancing the careers of women in the company, from technical staff to middle and senior managers.

In July this year, Ferrexpo’s practice of supporting women, in particular the FemUnity program, was highlighted among the examples of best corporate approaches in the official Gender Alliance report presented during the URC.

Ferrexpo is one of the few players that thinks internationally and acts strategically, making Ukrainian industry visible to global capital. One proof of this is the four investment projects presented on the KSE investment portal. As noted, this is not just a declaration of intent, but a signal to global investors looking for reliable partners in conditions of risk and instability. The company demonstrates that even during wartime, it is capable of forming clear and ambitious initiatives that meet ESG criteria, technical feasibility, and sustainable economic impact.

«Ferrexpo is one of the few companies in the sector that publicly demonstrates its investment strategy and is ready for new international partnerships and technological upgrades to its production that will meet the conditions of the European Green Deal. This allows us not only to attract funding, but also to build trust in Ukraine as a country that thinks years ahead,» the company emphasized.

In addition, Ferrexpo also demonstrates best practices in climate transformation, making it into the prestigious Europe’s Climate Leaders ranking by the Financial Times and Statista for the third time in a row. The company was the only one from Ukraine to be included in this year’s list.

The ranking includes companies that have demonstrated the greatest reduction in carbon intensity over the period 2018–2023. Ferrexpo entered the top quartile of its sector, not only thanks to its emissions reduction policy, but also to real technological solutions integrated into its business model.

Among these solutions is the large-scale Green Mine program. It involves the electrification of quarry equipment, the transition to trolley-assist systems, and the use of battery-powered locomotives. In recent years, the company has already reduced its gas consumption by 30%, and in 2021, it launched its own 5 MW solar power plant.

Ferrexpo notes that this is not just greenwashing — it is an engineering ecosystem that meets the requirements of the future. And if Europe is looking for responsible partners for green transformation, the company is ready to take on this challenge.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Ferrexpo plans to invest $3.3 billion to achieve zero CO2 emissions. Priority decarbonization measures include switching to biofuel for pelletizing, abandoning fossil fuels, and electrifying mining vehicles.